CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC):

Former St. Lucia Prime Minister, Dr. Vaughan Lewis, who led the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) into general election in 1997, is expected to change party colours.

A spokesman for Dr. Lewis yesterday said that an announcement indicating Dr. Lewis' acceptance as a candidate for the ruling St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) was imminent.

According to the spokesman, the announcement expected on Friday will name Dr. Lewis as the SLP's candidate for Castries Central, replacing Attorney-General Phillip La Corbiniere, who was defeated by the then Independent candidate, lawyer Richard Frederick in the April by-election.